1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for producing ozone water containing dissolved ozone in which polluted water is reproduced as environmentally friendly. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ozone water-producing system and its control method in which an ozone water-producing apparatus can be all purposely used indoors or outdoors irrespective of the condition of a flow channel. The condition of ozone generation is maintained in an optimum state so as to improve the performance of the system in its entirety, as well as to mitigate the symptom of the backflow of the ozone water due to a blocking of an outlet in the process of discharging. The ozone water is previously detected to prevent deterioration of the system performance and ensure stability in use.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, it is known that an ozone water-producing apparatus that can obtain ozone water by mixing and dissolving ozone into water utilizes the strong oxidation effects of ozone for the purpose of purification and disinfections. The ozone water-producing apparatus can be classified into a pressurized injector type, a diffused air type or a venturi injector type, etc., depending on the ozone water-producing method.
Among them, a typical ozone water-producing apparatus of the pressurized injector type, as shown in FIG. 1, includes an air pump 10 which sucks external air to provide to the apparatus as intake air, an ozone generator 11 with an ozone-generating unit 12 for changing oxygen contained in the air supplied from the air pump 10 into ozone to generate ozone, a mixer 14 for mixing the ozone supplied from the ozone generator 12 with water supplied from a water source 13, a solenoid valve 16 installed in a water supply line 15 to control a flow of the water supplied to the mixer 14 from the water source 13, etc.
The ozone water-producing apparatus is configured in such a fashion that when the air pump 10 supplies air to the ozone-generating unit 12 compulsorily, the ozone-generating unit 12 changes oxygen in the air into ozone. At this time, although a portion of the changed ozone is again decomposed into oxygen, most of the ozone is pushed into the mixer 14 which, in turn, mixes the ozone into water supplied from the water source 13 so as to discharge ozone water.
Accordingly, in such a pressurized injector type ozone water-producing apparatus, the ozone is sucked into the mixer 14 by the negative pressure generated when water from the water source 13 passes through the water supply line 15 while pressure is generated by the air pump 10 so as to discharge ozone water where gas and liquid are mixed, i.e., water which contains dissolved ozone.
The ozone water-producing apparatus requires various peripherals since maintaining a suitable degree of water and ozone mixing relates to the performance of the apparatus. Examples of auxiliary devices for stably and uniformly maintaining the mixing state of water and ozone to provide optimum water containing dissolved ozone include a mixer for mixing ozone and water, an injector for generating a negative pressure, a gas-liquid separator for controlling the amount of air introduced thereto or separating gas and liquid, etc.
Examples of techniques for providing an improved ozone water-producing system through a modification of the arrangement and structure of the ozone water-producing apparatus are described below. The Korean Utility Model Registration No. 208,109, introduced by the applicant of the present invention, discloses an apparatus for producing ozone water in which a solenoid valve (injector) is modified, a bubble separator is installed in an ozone supply line connected to an inlet of a mixer. In this system only an increase in water pressure permits the inflow of ozone without an air pump, the discharge of surplus ozone not mixed into the water is prevented and a reduction in the number of components and miniaturization achieved according to the absence of the air pump in the overall construction. Also, various problems associated with a re-use of the ozone including possible physical harm to humans due to the ozone as well as breakage of the peripheral components are resolved.
Another Korean Utility Model Registration No. 203,244, introduced by the applicant of the present invention, discloses an apparatus for producing ozone water in which a problem associated with security of the length of a flow channel due to an additional installation of a solenoid valve and an injector on the flow channel is overcome in such a manner that the flow channel length is shortened and an air pump is replaced while obtaining suitable ozone water through an integrated application of the solenoid valve and injector.
However, such conventional arts are directed to a modified structure of a flow channel for mixing artificially generated ozone and water. Particularly, there has been a problem in that the use of air containing foreign substance and moisture to generate ozone causes deterioration of the ozone-producing efficiency.
In addition, there occurs a frequent blocking of an outlet of ozone water during system operation. In this case, the ozone water deviates from a normal flow path and flows backwards so that a mixed balance between water and ozone is destroyed, simultaneously making the normal discharging of ozone water impossible. As a result, along with a decrease in the entire flow channel performance, a user can feel inconvenienced by having the need to obtain maintenance and repair of the system from those highly skilled in the art.
Moreover, there has not been suggested a concrete approach for efficient control, a concrete system design and an ozone water producing apparatus that can be easily and simply utilized in home, public facilities or the like.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an ozone water-producing system and its control method that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ozone water producing system, which can be all purposely used indoors or outdoors irrespective of the condition of a flow channel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ozone water-producing system that maintains the condition of ozone generation of the system in an optimum state to achieve an improved performance in its entirety.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ozone water-producing system that preemptively detects a symptom of the backflow of ozone water due to a blocking of an outlet in the process of discharging the ozone water to prevent deterioration of the system performance and ensure stability in use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ozone water-producing system that controls relatively frequently occurring backflow of water during the operation of the ozone water-producing system to allow the system to operate normally.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as in the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ozone water-producing system including, an ozone generator having an ozone-generating unit for receiving air and changing oxygen contained in the air into ozone, a mixer adapted to mix the ozone supplied from the ozone generator with water supplied from a water source, a solenoid valve installed in a water supply line to control the flow of the water supplied to the mixer from the water source, and a gas-liquid separator adapted to separate gas and liquid.
The ozone water-producing system comprising: influent air control means adapted to purify and dehumidify introduced air that passes through an air solenoid valve installed in the flow path of ambient air introduced into an ozone generator; an injector connected to a water supply line and an ozone gas supply line so as to form an ozone gas with air purified and dried through the influent air control means and mix the ozone gas with water, the injector adapted to open a check valve installed at a position where the ozone gas supply line and the water supply line meet by means of water injection via the Venturi effect to allow the ozone gas to be dissolved into water; a gas-liquid separator having a certain space enabling a separation of gas and liquid and adapted to perform a repeated ozone dissolving process in such a manner that it receives first ozone water obtained by mixing and dissolving the ozone gas into the water via the injector, allows ozone to subsequently be dissolved into water to produce second ozone water in the gas-liquid separator and discharges ozone water of a liquid state where ozone is dissolved into water during the formation of the second ozone water through a drainpipe while allowing ozone in a gaseous state which is not dissolved into water to re-enter the gas-liquid separator through a return line to allow ozone to thirdly be dissolved into water to produce ozone water in the gas-liquid separator; and ozone water-backflow preventing means installed along the interior space of the gas-liquid separator and adapted to detect a limited water level of the ozone water introduced into the gas-liquid separator and control the flow of water through the water supply line according to the flow state of the ozone water in order to prevent a backflow of the ozone water.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also a method of controlling an ozone water-producing system for producing ozone, comprising the steps of:
supplying water to the interior of the system by opening a water solenoid valve serving to open and close a water supply line in a driving circuit board, and mixing ozone into the water by increasing a flow rate of the water through an injector and sucking the ozone into the injector;
separating ozone from water through a gas-liquid separator to dissolve ozone into water containing dissolved ozone while restricting a discharge of ozone which is not dissolved in the water so as to re-dissolve ozone into the water;
continuously supplying water to the gas-liquid separator in the gas-liquid separating process and, in response to a blocking of an outlet provided on the lower portion of the gas-liquid separator, detecting a state where a discharge of water is stopped as an abnormal water level in the gas-liquid separator;
blocking the water solenoid valve and opening the outlet on the lower portion of the gas-liquid separator to discharge water from the gas-liquid separator through the outlet if water level detecting information of the gas-liquid separator contains a full water level; and
identifying a discharge state of water through a detecting sensor after all the water in the gas-liquid separator is discharged and actuating the water solenoid valve to re-supply water to the gas-liquid separator through the water supply line after an optional delay time elapses.
According to the ozone water-producing system, the condition of ozone generation is maintained in an optimum state to improve stability and performance of the system in its entirety. Further, the re-circulation of ozone increases the amount of dissolved ozone, reduces inconvenience according to maintenance and repair of the system, and allows the system to be flexibly used indoors or outdoors irrespective of the condition of a flow channel.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.